All recommended changes approved by departments as part of academic reorganization initiative


After revised recommendations for the Academic Organizational Review were released, affected departments held votes to decide whether or not to accept the recommended changes. 

Departments voted on these recommendations before and during Spring Break. Ian Davison, senior vice provost of the Academic Reorganization Initiative, said all votes passed.

The results of the votes are as follows:

  • The Department of Communication and Dramatic Arts voted 28-1 to separate into the Department of Communication and the Department of Theater and Dance.
  • The Department of Human Environmental Studies voted 39-1 to split into the Department of Fashion, Interiors and Design, the Department of Human Development and Family Studies, and the Department of Food and Nutrition.
  • Fashion Merchandizing and Design and Interior Design voted 39-2 to merge into one department.
  • The Department of Food and Nutrition voted 37-2 to move to the Herbert H. & Grace A. Dow College of Health Professions.
  • The Gerontology program voted 40-0 with one person abstaining to move to CHP.
  • Human Development and Family Studies voted 39-0 with two people abstaining to form a standalone department.
  • The School of Rehabilitation and Medical Sciences voted 17-5 with 10 people abstaining to establish a standalone Physical Therapy program. All other programs will remain in the School.
  • The School of Health Sciences voted 26-2 with five people abstaining to incorporate gerontology into the School of Health Sciences in CHP.
  • The Mathematics Department voted 27-5 to divide into the Department of Mathematics and the Department of Statistics and Actuarial and Data Sciences. All nine members of the Statistics and Actuarial Science area voted yes.
  • The members of the Statistics and Actuarial Science area voted 8-1 to join the new Division of Engineering and Informatics in the College of Science and Engineering.

Davison said colleges will vote to approve these changes this week. All changes approved at the college level will be voted on by the Academic Senate at its April 10 meeting.

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